Book Review - Gangland by Chuck Hogan
Murder, gangsters, FBI vs. organized crime. Where are we? Chicago of course. Where else?
Gangland is the story of organized crime in Chicago set in the 1970s and 1980s. The story begins in 1975. The main protagonist of our story is Nicholas “Nicky Pins” Passero. Nicky owns a bowling alley. He also carries out clandestine activities for crime boss Tony Accardo. In the first scene he is sent to assassinate the former boss Sam Giancano who has been called on to testify. No one imagines that this is the work of Passero. Throughout the novel he continues to serve as Accardo’s secret weapon.
The novel takes a turn towards the dark side when a gang of thieves rob a jewelry store and don’t get the proper permission from the bosses. The bosses punish them for their actions, but that only makes the leader of the group angrier. He lashes out at Accardo. In his rage Accardo has Nickey Pins go after the thieves and teach them a lesson. The resulting violence will attract the attention of the authorities and might even bring down Sam Accardo.
Gangland is set firmly in the culture of the period. The main characters, when they aren’t doing unspeakable things to each other, are taking their kids to see Star Wars and other popular films. Nicky Pins sets up a disco ball in his bowling alley and has disco nights. We are in the period just before technology will give a major boost to crime investigation. That won’t help Nicky Pins though. The new FBI agent in town has zeroed in on him and knows Nicky’s darkest secret.
The novel is well-written, and the pace never really slows down. Fictional characters like Nicky Pins easily occupy the same world as such famous men as Frank Niti, Sam Giancano, and others. The novel reads like a classic gritty crime story. It’s not for the faint hearted, but it is really, good. If you like classic crime novels, true crime stories, or stuff about organized crime then this book is for you.